This was a terrible review to write. I had a few things that I wanted to have in there, such as:
1. the game is unplayable if I'm sober. The game isn't any less silly, it's just not fun any more. Or.. it's a game that actually is possible to play when hysterically bombed, so it's comparatively not so fun when you're sober.
2. The graphics are simplistic. And they're simplistic for a reason. It's an interesting thing - the wii-mote actually does allow you to map motions that are fairly complex. You don't have all the axes, or the twists and turns in all directions. The depth-focus is working only when facing directly at the sensor (it's the dual infra-red thing), and the rotation only works together with the sensors. But on the other hand, the gyro actually works, and can pick up on movement up and down, etc. It's not accurate, but it's useful enough that it's possible to not have to focus completely on the mechanical control to solve the games. You can.. at times, when you're not just blinking in and out because the mote doesn't have focus... just do the actual movement, and things happen believably on the screen. This isn't very good - it's "visual science", coupled with fraud. But it's effective to some extent.
3. The game's plot and events can tend to be, in Nintendo world terms, pretty edgy.
I'm not really sure if any of that came off. I had to avoid writing "only play this game if you're drunk". But some of the animation is so silly and bad that you start to imagine it's made by people who do drugs, for people who do drugs. It's the kind of sensory backlash, with the exaggerated emotion in the simplistic animation, that doesn't make sense to a reasonably present brain.
On the other hand, it is true that the game is hilariously fun. And several parts of it really is extremely well put together. The nonsensical mini-games, with the positively crazy animation...
Let me give you an example: you're told to hold the "form baton" in the "The Dumbbell" position. There's a slightly big boned school-girl with weights in her arms. And you're told to "Lift!" for the weights in her arms. You do a pulling motion - and the animation mis-matches completely, does a pull-up some time after yours. And if you complete the mini-game, the school-girl's biceps and torso explode through the shirt. In a completely non-erotic manner whatsoever.
Ok. So is that fun? No. It's shocking, and hilarious at the same time. So it's something that you will laugh crazily at if you don't actually think too deeply of - because it's that unexpected shock-effect of something that is at once remarkably laughable and exaggerated - but also exceptionally silly.
And yet - to get away with these things, and actually make the animation and the mini-games as crazy as they are - that takes talent. It's as if they tweaked it to be short, precisely because if it did last longer, it would only be embarrassing.
There's another mini-game that starts out with "Insert!". You are supposed to insert some old lady's teeth. And you do that by aiming in the general direction and pushing the wii-mote forward.
Another has you pull a gigantic nose-hair out of a huge snout. If you succeed you're treated to an exaggerated animation of a bugger falling out of the nose along with the nose-hair.
The game is just full of these things. And they always manage to do it in a way that is almost too embarrassing, constantly.
But then, strangely enough, that doesn't last, and the game just has a lot of pointless and genuinely not very shocking things at all.
Worst is when it switches to 3d. This is 3d that would have looked good in 1988. But it's also where the most brilliant use of the wii-mote is hidden. Drink a glass of swill - "Finish!" is about quaffing down a glass, but without spilling too much. This game uses the gyro all the way from down to up - and it actually could work if you find the sweet-spots the gyro kicks in. And then the animation actually follows your movement in real time. That is brilliant. But it really takes a while to figure this out, whether you're sober or not, so it's actually not a good design-choice - but something that is a technically brilliant, but mechanically difficult, part that no programmer wouldn't fall in love with.
In any case - so bottom line: the fun of the game is not immersing yourself into the game. But in acting out something outside it. To be tricked by the visuals on the screen to do something extravagant.
I don't like the concept - unless I'm drunk. I mean, it's... like a japanese game-show, isn't it. That's all the explanation you need here, really.
Review here:
http://www.honestgamers.com/reviews/9177/WarioWare-Smooth-Moves.html
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zigfried - December 04, 2010 (07:42 PM) HG mail sent to you, Mr Fleinn //Zig |
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zippdementia - December 05, 2010 (12:35 AM) The problem with the kind of game you are describing is that it generally loses its appeal after a first run through. Raving Rabbids was like that: hilarious when you first play it... boring after the third time you see a bunny scream and catch on fire. |
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fleinn - December 05, 2010 (05:53 AM) *nods* ...but I kind of can't dislike the game for that. Because like I said, it's not only about the mini-games, but the entire "people do stupid things in front of the screen" thing. And if it's supposed to work as a party-game, it can't have too much stuff happening.. I think. So the problem might have been that you have to play until the end to have the multiplayer.. That that would take too long. Another thing they should have had was a stacking game with two wii-motes. That would have been neat. There's this.. tetris-like thing. You have blocks dropping down, and then you need to balance them on a tray. Really fun. |
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